Composite panel

ABSTRACT

A composite cladding panel  1  comprises a backing tray  2  and an external skin  3  with a layer of foam insulation material  4  such as a phenolic or polyurethane based foam material therebetween. One of the skins, in this case the external skin  3  has a plurality of tongue and mortise blocks  5  fastened to the panel  1  by fasteners  12.  Each fastener  12  comprises a peel rivet having a mandrel, a stress plate, and a main body. Pilot holes  13  are first drilled through the blocks  5  and the rivet  12  is inserted. On operation of a rivet gun the main body curls up  22  and is clamped against the inside surface of the external skin  3.  The blocks  5  are thereby efficiently and effectively clamped to the external skin  3.  A composite insulating panel with an integrated high performance brick cladding is provided.

INTRODUCTION

The invention relates to a composite cladding panel of the typecomprising an inner skin and an external skin with insulation foammaterial therebetween.

Buildings comprising a steel frame on which pre-formed panels aremounted may be erected quickly and more cheaply than buildings withbrick or block facades.

One of the problems with buildings constructed from pre-formed panels isthat such panels can often be uninteresting aesthetically. It is knownto form such panels with various profiles and in various colours,however, there is still a need to provide an aesthetically differentfaçade in some cases.

This invention is directed towards providing a panel system which willaddress this need.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a composite cladding panelcomprising an internal skin and an external skin with insulationmaterial therebetween, one of the skins having a plurality of tongue andmortise blocks mounted directly to the panel by a mounting means to forma cladding.

In one embodiment the blocks have mounting holes and the mounting meanscomprises a fastener for insertion through the hole to fasten the blockto the panel.

In one case the fastener comprises a clamping fastener.

The clamping fastener may comprise a peel rivet.

In one embodiment the external skin of the panel has an adhesive on theinner face thereof. The adhesive may be applied to the inner face of theexternal skin prior to lay-down of liquid insulating foam reactants.

The invention also provides a method for manufacturing a compositecladding panel comprising the steps of:

-   -   manufacturing a composite insulating panel comprising an        internal skin, an external skin with insulation material        therebetween;    -   providing a plurality of tongue and mortise blocks with mounting        holes through the blocks;    -   providing a plurality of fasteners;    -   placing the blocks along at least portion of the external face        of a skin; and    -   fastening the blocks to the skin by inserting the fasteners        through the holes in the blocks.

The method may comprise the step of fixing the blocks to the panel usingthe fasteners. The fasteners are preferably clamping fasteners,especially peel rivets.

In one embodiment the method comprises boring holes through the blocksto provide the mounting holes.

In one embodiment the method comprises the steps of laying the externalskin down with the outer side lowermost, applying an adhesive to theinner face of the external skin, applying liquid foam reactants over theadhesive, applying an internal skin over the liquid form reactants andheating the sandwich thus formed in an oven to form the compositeinsulating panel.

The invention further provides composite cladding panels whenmanufactured by a method of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription thereof given by way of example only, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a composite insulating claddingpanel according to the invention with a plurality of tongue and mortiseblocks attached;

FIG. 2 is perspective view of one of the blocks of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective partially cut-away of the block of FIG. 2fastened to the panel;

FIG. 4 is a view of a rivet used to fasten the blocks to the panels;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the drilled block of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a plurality of the drilled blockswith the panel omitted;

FIGS. 7( a) to 7(c) illustrate the mounting of the blocks to the panel;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views illustrating the mounting of theblocks to panels;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a composite panel with no blocks inplace; and

FIGS. 11 to 14 are various views of a prior art tongue and mortise blockused in the composite panel of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a composite claddingpanel 1 according to the invention. The panel 1 comprises a steel skinor backing tray 2 and an external steel skin 3 with a layer of foaminsulation material 4 such as a phenolic or polyurethane based foammaterial therebetween. The panel may be of any suitable type such asthat described in our UK2325678A, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

One of the skins, in this case the external skin 3 has a plurality oftongue and mortise blocks 5 such as those available from Novabrickfastened to the panel 1 by fasteners 12. Each fastener 12 in this caseis a clamping fastener and comprises a peel rivet having a mandrel, astress plate, and a main body. We have found that such a clampingfastener is particularly efficient in fastening such blocks to thepanel.

Pilot holes 13 are first drilled through the blocks 5 and the rivet 12is inserted. On operation of a rivet gun the main body curls up asillustrated by reference 22 and is clamped against the inside surface ofthe external skin 3 as will be particularly apparent from FIG. 3. Inthis way the blocks 5 are fixed to the panels. The blocks 5 are therebyefficiently and effectively clamped to the external skin 3.

To enhance the peel strength of the composite panel a layer 30 of anadhesive is applied to the internal face of the external skin 3. Theadhesive layer 30 is a pre-lay-down adhesive which is compatible withthe material of the insulting core 4. We have found that the use of suchan adhesive greatly enhances the peel strength of the panel and enablesthe panel to carry the additional load of the cladding tiles.

In manufacture, an external skin 3 is drawn from a reel and laid down ina lay-down bed with the internal face uppermost. The adhesive 30 is thenuniformly applied over the internal face of the skin 3 prior to lay-downof liquid foam reactants. The inner skin 2 is then led from a reel andlocated above the liquid foam reactants.

The assembly is the passed through an oven in which the liquid foamreactants expand to form the insulating core 4. A desired length ofpanel is then cut. The blocks 5 are laid out across the external face ofthe skin 3 and the locations for fastening the receiving holes to bedrilled in the panel are marked. The blocks 5 are then fitted asillustrated. The system is a mortarless cladding system.

The invention provides a composite panel of relatively simple but highlyrobust construction which facilitates easy on site cladding with tongueand mortise blocks. The system creates a strong, water resistant brickfinish with insulation built-in. The system combines proven compositeinsulated panel technology with an aesthetic and high performancemortarless brick cladding.

The system of the invention allows a weather proofed building to befitted out much quicker than traditional blockwork. This is because thepanels can be put up quickly and the building is then ready to fit out.The bricks can be applied to the outside of the panel at any stage. Thepanels of the invention do not need to cover the whole of the building.For example, they can be used at suitable locations such as for a heightof one or two metres from the ground up much like a dado-wall. Such anarrangement is particularly suitable for retail parks, supermarkets andthe like as the brick clad panel is more resistant to impact damage (forexample from shopping trolleys) than an unclad panel.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore describedwhich may be varied in detail.

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A composite cladding panel comprising an internalskin and an external skin with insulation material therebetween, one ofthe skins having a plurality of tongue and mortise blocks mounteddirectly to the panel by a mounting means to form a cladding.
 17. Thepanel as claimed in claim 16 wherein the blocks have mounting holes andthe mounting means comprises a fastener for insertion through the holeto fasten the block to the panel.
 18. The panel as claimed in claim 17wherein the fastener comprises a clamping fastener.
 19. The panel asclaimed in claim 18 wherein the clamping fastener comprises a peel rivetthat clamps to the inside of the external skin.
 20. The panel as claimedin claim 16 wherein the external skin of the panel has an adhesive onthe inner face thereof.
 21. The panel as claimed in claim 20 wherein theadhesive is applied to the inner face of the external skin prior tolay-down of liquid insulating foam reactants.
 22. method formanufacturing a composite cladding panel comprising the steps of:manufacturing a composite insulating panel comprising an internal skin,an external skin with insulation material therebetween; providing aplurality of tongue and mortise blocks with mounting holes through theblocks; providing a plurality of fasteners; placing the blocks along atleast portion of the external face of a skin; and fastening the blocksto the skin by inserting the fasteners through the holes in the blocks.23. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the fastener comprises aclamping fastener for clamping to the inside of the external skin. 24.The method as claimed in claim 23 wherein the clamping fastenercomprises a peel rivet.
 25. The method as claimed in claim 24 comprisingthe step of fixing the blocks to the panel using the rivets.
 26. Themethod as claimed in claim 22 comprising the steps of laying theexternal skin down with the outer side lowermost, applying an adhesiveto the inner face of the external skin, applying liquid foam reactantsover the adhesive, applying an internal skin over the liquid formreactants and heating the sandwich thus formed in an oven to form thecomposite insulating panel.
 27. The method as claimed in claim 22comprising boring holes through the blocks to provide the mountingholes.